Article by Vicky Roncero
As the leaves are beginning to turn color and fall from the branches, I find myself thinking of my Reiki tree. It’s a special tree, in a park near my home, which my Reiki teacher had asked me to choose. For years, I would stride passed this tree, on my many walks through the park and not notice it as anything other than one of the many trees in the park. But, after the walk with my teacher, this tree became so much more to me, and it was truly a significant turning point in my Reiki training. Of course, it’s not really “my” tree, as it belongs to everyone. But, I created a connection with this tree and myself, which profoundly helped me to literally root myself in Reiki energy.
I have always been a very visual person and love to see examples of things I am learning. Reiki is challenging in this way, as there is so much that needs to just be felt or experienced and the seeing and hearing comes later, with time. I think my teacher could sense that I was struggling with the simplicity of Reiki, making it harder than it needed to be, asking her questions, which answers were already inside of me, if I was able to quiet myself to hear them. She listened to me but did not provide any answers. Instead, she turned to me and said, “Pick out a tree.”
“Pick out a TREE?!”, I said… did she even hear me… does she know what I am asking? “Yes, pick out a tree and see what it tells you.” She went onto explain how she speaks to the trees and how they have so much to teach us. She told me that I should visit this tree more often and I would find my answers. I was confused but intrigued. In retrospect, I realize just how fortunate I was to have such a teacher, who was encouraging me to search myself and connect to my own soul, in this way. At the time, midway through Reiki 3 training… there were many things coming up for me and I was hoping for reassurance and looking for validation. I wanted to know that I was learning correctly and doing well. What happened instead is that I discovered how Reiki works inside of myself and inside of this tree, throughout nature and all living things. And, I came to know that I don’t need to ask anyone for validation or encouragement. The proof is all around us if we open our eyes and become aware of it.
“Vicky’s” Tree
As I made frequent visits to my tree, I would look and listen, much more closely, as I touched the trunk and looked up at the branches. As the weeks passed, I noticed the frozen icicles, hanging from bare branches, soon replaced by tiny buds. A few weeks later, almost like magic, the buds blossomed into leaves. And, in no time at all, lush green leaves filled the tree with abundance. As storms came and went, I could see tiny branches broken and strewn around the base.
Each season brought different weather and changes. And, regardless of how bare the branches looked the following winter, the tree stood tall and proud, with…
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